You can play Super Smash Bros. on Wii U with GameCube controllers

Nintendo knows that some of you Smash Bros. fans don’t ever want to give up your GameCube controllers, and it has figured out a way that lets you keep using them.

The company announced a Wii U add-on that will enable gamers to plug in up to four GameCube controllers into its latest home console. The small brick plugs into both front USB ports on the Wii U, and then gamers just need to provide their own controllers.

We’ve reached out to Nintendo for pricing and availability of the device, and we’ll update with more. Nintendo also did not specify if GameCube controllers will work with other Wii U games or only Smash Bros., and a spokesperson told GamesBeat that it isn’t planning to share any additional information at this time.

Nintendo plans to release Super Smash Bros. for 3DS this summer, and the Wii U version will follow this winter.

Nintendo plans to use this adapter for its upcoming Super Smash Bros. tournament that it will hold in conjunction with the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in June. The company will invite the top players from around the world to compete and will stream it live on the gameplay-video site Twitch.

The publisher released the following video that provides some details on the tournament:

Super Smash Bros. originally debuted for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, and fans loved its frenetic action and four-player battles. The GameCube sequel, Melee, launched in 2001 and built on its predecessors success. Since then, most pro players have used the GameCube controller to compete in tournaments. That held true for Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008 on the Wii. That system had four built-in GameCube controller ports.

Fans of Super Smash Bros. have spent the last few months asking Nintendo if it could release something like this, and now people like well-known match commentator Wynton Smith are welcoming the news.

We’ll likely learn more about this adapter as we get into E3 starting June 9, and we’ll try to dig up more details. Who knows — maybe this means we’re getting GameCube Virtual Console games on the Wii U.